By Town Crier Staff Report

Seven works, each of which tells a story in music, make up the program for Nova Vista Symphony’s opening concert 8 p.m., Saturday, at Foothill College’s Smithwick Theater.

Nuvi Mehta, the orchestra’s new music director, will be conducting the concert.

Titled “Tales in Music,” the concert is the first in a new concert series called “What’s in a Note?” conceived by Mehta. Also on the program are works by composers Beethoven, Vivaldi, Mussorgsky, Berlioz, Mendelssohn and Debussy. The Vivaldi work “Spring,” from “The Four Seasons,” will feature Mehta as soloist conducting from the violin.

After a two-year search, Mehta was selected from a field of 85 applicants to become permanent director of Nova Vista. This season he was also named music director of the Marquette (Michigan) Symphony. A resident of San Diego, he is continuing as director for outreach programs for the San Diego Chamber Orchestra and a regular music lecturer at the University of San Diego.

Mehta has been a guest conductor with the San Diego Symphony, assistant conductor of the San Diego Chamber Orchestra and Apprentice Conductor and Guest Conductor with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, among others.

As a violinist, he has been concertmaster of the New World Symphony under Michael Tilson Thomas and has also served as concertmaster and soloist with the San Diego Symphony.

Concert tickets will be sold at the door, priced at $12 general, $10 seniors and $5 students. Children under 12 are free.

Foothill is located at 12345 El Monte Ave., Los Altos Hills. Same-level parking for the hilltop Smithwick Theater is available in lot 5. There is a $2 charge for parking.

For more information, call (408) 245-3116.